Automatic fuse setting apparatus



May 26, 1931.

E. H. BOICOURT ET AL AUTOMATIC FUSE SETTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet l lnvemfow Filed Jan. 6, 1930 A iiorney y 1931. E. H. BOICOURT ET AL 1,805,593

AUTOMATIC FUSE SETTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 6, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I n veniom y 17222250500317? f jliifioz'c'auri v 14 tiorney Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD H. BOICOURT AND ALLAN H. BOICOURT, OF ROCKWELL CITY, IOWA AUTOMATIC FUSE SETTING APPARATUS Application filed January 6, 1930.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for use in electrical circuits whereby after one fuse has been blown out another fuse will be substituted in circuit therefor in an automatic manner.

Another very important object of the invention resides in the provision of an apparatus of this nature wherein a predetermined time interval is allowed before a fuse is substituted in the circuit for a blown out fuse to give the circuit an opportunity of being unloaded.

A still further very important object of the invention resides in the provision of an apparatus of this nature which is exceedingly simple in its construction, inexpensive to manufacture, strong and durable, compact and convenient in its arrangement of parts, thoroughly efficient and reliable in use and operation, and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the above and numerous other ob- J jects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in certain 23 novel features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings :0 Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus embodying the features of our invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical section therethrough taken substantially on the line 22 of F ig- Y ure 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a perspective View of one of the fuses,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a pair of hinge sections,

Figure 7 is a pers ctive view of the lower end of one of the sli e bars,

Figure 8 is a detail section taken substantially on the line 88 of Figure 3,

Figure 9 is a detail sectional view through one of the switch elements. Referring to the drawings in detail itwill mittent motion similar to that found in most Serial No. 418,859.

be seen that the numeral 5 denotes a casing thefront of'which is open, being closab-le by a panel 6. Depending from the sides of the panel 6 are leaf bars 7 with pins 8 to be received in bayonet slots 9 in leaf bars 10 deis pending from the side walls of the casing 5 thereby allowing the panel 6 to swing to open and closed positions and when in open position allowing the same to be readily removed as will bequitc apparent.

Four pairs of guide rollers 11 are mounted on the inner side of the panel 6-to receive slide bars 12 to permit vertical movement thereof. Blocks 14 are mounted on the upper end of the slide bars 12 and have vertical racks 15 thereon. Bracket plates 16 are mounted on thepanel and have journalled therein a shaft 17 with rack pinions l8on the ends thereof disposed below the bottom teeth of the racks 15- when the slides1'2 are in uppermost position.

A gear 19 is mounted on the center of the shaft 17 and is operatively connected with asuitable mechanism. The escapement mechanism illustrated in the drawings includes a shaft 20 journaled through the plates 16 having a fly wheel 21 at one end and a plate 22 at the other end f formed with lateral ears 23 through which is slidable rod 24 having stops 25 and 26 thereon and a weight 27 slidable thereon between the stops 25 and 26.

A pivoted stop 28 is mounted on one of the bracket plates and is held in a normal position by means of a spring 29. When the shaft 20 is rotating the centrifugal'force causes the weight 27 to abut the stop 25 to project the rod 24 so as to engage the stop 28 thereby stopping ther'otation of the shaft 20 until the weight falls down to slide the rod 24 downwardly out of the way of the stop 28 and further rotationof the shaft 20 is permitted.

Thus the shaft 20 when properly actuated as. will be described hereinafter'has an interescapement mechanisms.

Aplurality of fuses are mounted in the apparatus, each fuse including a tube 30 of insulatin material'having at one end operatively notches 31 and 32, the latter left hand rocker 44.

adapted to be swungwi-th elements 47.

being smallerv than the former the tube extends 'a fuse wire 33. Clamps 34 on the upper ends of the tube 30 pivotallymount latches '35 which engage catches 36. mounted on the outer surface of the panel 6 by means of a plate 37 and fastening elements 38.

The upper endof the fuse wire holds the L-shaped rockers 44 which are .pivotally mounted as at 45 in bearings 46 connected to knifeswitch elements 47 fastened by suitable means on the bottom inside of the panel 6."

The lower ends of the fuse wires 33 are connected with terminal bolts 49 on the rockers 44. The left hand and center rockers have lateral arms 50 for engaging in notches 51 formed at the lower ends of the slides'12 for holding these slides in their normally raised positions as shown in Figure 3..

A pair of switch blades 53 are .pivotally mounted as at 54 and normally held in raised positions by springs 55. I These blades 53 are down'into engagement The electric circuit is connected to the apparatus by means of terminal 57 on a plate 58 mounted in the top of the casing and with which the hood 42 engages when the panel is closed and with a terminal 59 connected by suitable conducting means 60 with the It will therefore be seen will flow through the left hand fuse when all parts areinitially v in the left hand tube burns out then the left hand latch 35,is free to rock so that this left tube will gravitate downwardly, rocln'ng the loading rocker-44.

The rocking disengages its arm 7 of this left hand rocker 44 50 from the left hand slide 12 so that the samewi'll gravitate downwardgive an opportunity of unly slow enough to and when the block 14 enthe circuit gages the left hand switch blade-53 it will contact the same with the switch element 47 so that the circuit will be closed through the center fuse.

Should the center fuse burn out of course, this would cause the releasing of the other slide 12 and the closing of the other switch as will ,be quite apparent without amore detail description thereof.

7 We consider that the main utility of this invention resides in power circuits extending 8 nces wherein it is n to and through.

- tance will now be quite apparent to those that the current set up. If the fuse wire 1,soe,593

out in the country for a considerable dis to renewa fuse. Obviously with fuse apparatuses as disclosed herein a regular inspection could be made at intervals andthus practically eliminating the necessity of long trips to renew fuses in emergencies.

It is thought that the construction, operation, utility and advantages of this invention 7 skilled in detailed description this art without a more thereof.

The present embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in considerable detail mere- 1y for the purposes of exemplification since in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description. 7

It will be apparent that changes in the de-' tails of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departin from the spirit or. scope of the invention as liereinafter claimed or sacrificing any ofits advantages.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new is:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a casing, a panel hingedly mounted in the casing, a plurality of fuses; supporting means on the panel for the fuses, means for automatically placing the fuses in a circuit one after the other as they burn out, and an escapement mechanismmounted on said anel for controlling said means to provi e a predetermined time interval between the burning out of one fuse and the setting of the next fuse in the circuit.

I 2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a casin a'panel bingedly mounted in the casing, sli es mounted on, the panel, escapement mechanism cooperatively connected with the slides, switches adapted to be closed by the slides, fuses, supporting'means on the panel for the fuses, means controlled by the fuses for normally retaining the slides against movement relative to the panel, one of said fuses being in circuit and when burned out adapted to release one of the slides for closing a switch for placingthe next fuse in the circuit.

In testimony what whereof we aflix our signa- 

